Ryan Yates sends message to Nottingham Forest fans, Morgan Gibbs-White responds
Nottingham Forest fans were hailed by Ryan Yates after he led them to a 1-0 win over Manchester United on Tuesday.
Nuno Espirito Santo‘s side put in a backs-to-the-wall performance to continue their push for the Champions League places this season, edging his compatriot Ruben Amorim at the City Ground.
Anthony Elanga’s goal – scored following a rapid-fire counter-attack is just the fifth minute – proved to be the difference for Forest, who produced just 0.48 xG compared to Manchester United’s 1.63 xG.
A 17th Premier League victory of the season, and ninth at home, leaves Forest third in the table with as whoping nine-point cushion to Manchester City in fifth, and Europe’s elite are now firmly in their sights.
Yates, whose form for Forest has been exceptional this season, would arguably have been man of the match had Elanga not scored the decisive goal, following a defensive display right out of the top drawer.
Gibbs-White responds to Ryan Yates message
Although he missed out on what would have been a deserved man of the match award, Yates was clearly more preoccupied by the ramifications of a win which consolidates Forest’s position in the top three.
| Nottingham Forest | Statistic | Manchester United |
| 1 | Goals | 0 |
| 0.48 | xG | 1.63 |
| 2 / 8 | Shots on Target | 6 / 23 |
| 32% | Possession | 68% |
| 3 | Corners | 10 |
A packed City Ground crowd helped roar the Reds home despite United having a plethora of second-half chances, with Murillo making a goal-line clearance from Harry Maguire’s effort in the dying seconds.
Post-match, Yates posted on Instagram (1 April), praising the impact of the 30,249-strong Forest crowd and stating: “The City Ground tonight”, alongside three fire emojis.
Former Forest stars like Djed Spence, Joe Lolley and Philip Zinckernagel all reacted to the post, and their current talisman Gibbs-White left a one-word message, saying to Yates: “Skip”.
Ryan Yates a cornerstone for transformed Nottingham Forest
With the Champions League on the horizon and a huge summer of transfer business lined up, Nuno’s Forest side could look wildly different next season, but Yates is one player who simply can’t be displaced.
Football Insider revealed on 28 March that Evangelos Marinakis wants to launch an ambitious bid for Atalanta superstar Ademola Lookman, signalling the level of signing Forest will be pursuing this summer.
Former Man United and Blackburn chief scout Mick Brown also told Football Insider that Forest are well-placed to finally complete a deal for Yoane Wissa from Brentford, having failed with a bid back in January.
Wissa and the similarly-linked Victor Osimhen would both be seen as players to succeed Chris Wood up front, but it’s no coincidence that talk of a potential replacement for Yates is an absolute non-starter.